It’s 2023 and the world has been devastated (and reduced to mostly islands) by killer tsunamis. 24 year old Kathryn O’Malley (aka Tsunami Blue), lives by herself with her dog Max and takes to the airwave where she uses her gift to warn whoever is listening, when a tsunami is on its way. You see, the ocean speaks, and Blue can hear it. Her hopes of saving as many lives as possible keep her going in a world that’s seemingly gone to hell. Constantly on the lookout for pirates (aka Runners) who would capture Blue and use her for her gift (to pillage and plunder), Blue is always on alert, and knows how to protect herself, so when a handsome stranger washes up on her shores, all her barriers come crashing down. Gabriel Black looks like an angel, albeit a dark one, and at first, Blue takes him for dead. She manages to get him back to her cabin and eventually nurses him out of hypothermia, only to find out he’s a dreaded Runner. Or is he?
I was so surprised at how much I enjoyed this little gem! I kinda fell in love with Blue, in spite of myself. She’s stubborn, untrusting (for good reason), and often bites off a little more than she can chew. But! She’s also refreshingly innocent (having been by herself for so long), is killer with a knife, and has a heart as big as the tsunamis that she predicts. A big part of the appeal of Tsunami Blue is the playout between Blue and Gabriel. In spite of his seemingly sinister background with the dreaded Runners, he’s determined to protect Blue at all costs, and seems to already harbor a serious crush on her. Blue, in spite of the undeniable attraction, is just determined to steal his boat and escape. Gabriel, excruciatingly so, manages to hold on to his mysterious origins, and the reasons for kidnapping Blue, for almost the whole book. So frustrating!! Yes, but it’s totally worth the payoff. Trust me on this one!
Tsunami Blue’s world is a cross between Mad Max and Waterworld (yes, I liked that movie, feel free to comment on that below), and I thoroughly enjoyed the engaging, fascinating characters that the author populated it with. The Runners are absolutely terrifying, and Blue is not afraid to get her hands dirty when engaging with them. She fights for her life right along with the best of them, and is a force to be reckoned with. The sweet romance with Gabe makes a nice counterpoint to the relatively dark world and that our hero and heroine are living in. However, Tsunami Blue is no frou frou romance. The worldbuilding is great, the fighting is fierce, and the perils are terrifying. You’ll zip through it wanting to know what happens next right now, not to mention wanting Gabe and Blue to get together already! Loved this one, and hope you will too!...more
I have to admit, I loved this one, even though my annoyance level was high through most of the book. But that wasn’t Jane’s fault! Please allow me to explain… When book 2 ended, we found our intrepid vampire heroine, Jane, being offered a romantic overseas getaway with her vampire beloved, Gabriel. However, as we start book 3, we soon realize that the trip is going terribly, especially since Gabriel seems to be dashing off to constant meetings, frequently leaving Jane to her own devices, and we know that can get scary…but I digress. Gabriel is also receiving what seem to be love letters, yet he absolutely refuses to explain to Jane what’s going on. So, Jane does the only thing she can think of to do. She goes back home. Without Gabriel. At least her friends Andrea, Dick, Zeb, and Jolene are waiting for her back in Half-Moon Hollow, but if Jane thinks things will be calmer at home, she’s got quite another thing coming!
I suppose I should explain my irritation. Not at Jane, at Gabriel!! I wanted to smack him for about three quarters of this book! I was just as frustrated as Jane that anytime she would confront him about the suspicious notes, he usually ran away. Literally, ran away. Poor Gabriel. So smooth, so handsome, so clueless when it comes to women! No worries, though. Gabriel’s behavior makes sense when you get the whole story, but up until then, be prepared to want a scene where Dick and Jolene hold him down while Jane kicks him. Seriously. But, I love Gabriel and Jane as a couple, and of course would follow them anywhere, plus they can get past a bit of drama, right? Well, at least until said drama starts threatening Jane’s life. Other fun for Jane includes Mr. Wainwright’s simpering nephew Emery, returned to claim some of his uncle’s things, but generally getting underfoot as they try to renovate the bookstore and prepare for the grand re-opening, and more drama (of the good kind) with Zeb and Jolene. Also, Jane joins the Chamber of Commerce, not realizing it’s like a cult of robo-blondes time warped from high school, bent on causing Jane as much misery as possible. Jane comes into her own quite a lot in this one, however, and I also loved how the author really explored the relationships between Jane and her friends, and also her family, which sets up Book 4 rather nicely. I’ll hang with Jane and the gang in Half-Moon Hollow, and hope to be able to visit time and time again! Love this series!...more
Nice Girls Don’t Date Dead Men is the 2nd installment of Molly Harper’s wonderful Jane Jameson series, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first! Jane is a relatively new vampire, turned when she was on her way home from Shenanigans after getting fired from her librarian job. Her car broke down, she stumbled into a ditch, and was mistaken for a deer by a passing drunk hunter, and shot. Good thing sexy vamp Gabriel Nightengale followed her home, huh? It’s not the best start to vampirism, but what are you gonna do? In Book 2, she’s getting used to her life as a vamp, working at the rare bookstore with the elderly, eccentric Mr. Wainwright, dating Gabriel, and dealing with her uber irritating family (as usual.)
Things seem to be looking up for our Jane, yes? Wellll, not so much. Her best friend, Zeb, is marrying a werewolf named Jolene. Yay for Zeb! I mean, Jolene is gorgeous and extremely sweet, but human/werewolf unions aren’t very popular, and her (very large and fiercely protective) family is giving poor Zeb a run for his money. Then there’s Zeb’s mom, who always hoped for a Jane/Zeb union. Also, Gabriel is constantly out of town, and being very mysterious about the whole thing, which, for Jane, is tough, since she’s not used to attention from someone like Gabriel, and is still a bit insecure in the relationship. And that’s not all! Jane’s Grandma Ruthie (aka The Black Widow) has met someone new, who may not be what he seems. Will Jane have to wear a horrid taffeta monstrosity to Jolene and Zeb’s wedding? Will Zeb survive his own wedding? Just what is Grandma Ruthie’s new love? And what exactly is Gabriel up to on these numerous business trips? Don’t worry, Ms. Harper will answer most of these questions (gotta leave some for the next book:-D ), and then some! The author’s trademark wit is in full force here, and while you don’t have the same kind of conflict as in the first novel, following Jane and her exploits, alongside her Half-Moon Hollow residents is always great fun! If you love Stephanie Plum, you’ll love this series. I zipped through it in one day and am on to the next! This series just sparkles with charm and will make you laugh out loud. Highly recommended....more
Tynan MacGillivray, vampire and Cait Sidhe (he shifts into a large cat), is on the hunt for a Seer at the behest of vamp queen Arsinoe. Just when he thinks he’ll have to go back empty handed, he meets the lovely and compelling Lily Quinn. There’s definitely something different about Ms. Quinn, and he thinks he might have found the Seer he’s looking for. A Mulo (gypsy curse) has been set lose upon Arsinoe’s people, causing them to die in terrible ways, and she needs a Seer to determine who’s laid the curse. Arsinoe lays the blame firmly at the feet of one of the other vampire dynasties, but it’s never that easy, and finding the culprit may be a tougher bet than she counted on. Little does Arsinoe know, Ty and Lily create quite the combo, and things are about to get wild in the world of the dynasties.
Dark Awakening is just a wonderful start to this series. Lily goes from unassuming teacher to possible revolutionary, and at her side is the brooding, mildly insecure, handsome Ty. Granted, Lily has had some serious nightmares just about all her life hinting that she might be a little more than meets the eye, and she’s got plenty of raw power, then there’s that mark she has… I loved the author’s unique world of mythology, shape shifting vamps, court intrigue, assassins, and dark romance, and Lily and Ty’s relationship feels very real and passionate, never forced. We also get to meet one of the characters in her second novel, Midnight Reckoning, Jaden, and trust me, you’ll want to get to know him better. In my opinion, in spite of the paranormal romance label, Dark Awakening should be quite at home in any urban fantasy collection. Kendra Leigh Castle is a talent to watch, and she’s certainly on my autobuy. Highly recommended....more
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